[Melville, Johannesburg, 1999]. There has been a buzz recently in the Johannesburg Hip-Hop scene as people wonder who this Patch-1 "cat" is and where on earth he came from. His pieces have been popping up all over Yeoville and Melville showcasing a variety of styles in both lettering and characters. Gogga is no longer the only local graffiti artist putting up pieces in Johannesburg that people talk about.

But is Patch 1 even South African? Or is he one of these international artists who occasionally come through and let their egos explode over our own walls, putting far too many local artists to shame? Don't let his accent fool you - Patch 1 was born and raised in South Africa by an Irish father and Italian mother but lived in England for 8 years. There he first discovered the graffiti artform through the work of crews from Nottingham. Patch-1 cites his early influences as crews and artists from Brighton and various other spots along the South coast of England - including She, Rec-1, Nema, Arch, DFM.

He has been actively involved in graffiti for 6 years and is currently in South Africa for a couple of months before returning to England. The HHH caught up with him just after his return from Madagascar and before his departure for England.

You can check out more of his work (along with that of other Johannesburg graffiti artists) in the Johannesburg graffiti gallery - also on this site.